NMA Remembrance 2024
On Saturday 18 May 2024 association members, families of the fallen and cadets and officers from T.S. Ardent gathered at the HMS Ardent Association anchor memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum to remember our 22 fallen shipmates killed in action during the Battle of Falkland Sound on 21 May 1982.
The service was led by Reverend Ken Bromage with T.S. Ardent providing the fallen crosses guard, the Association flag was held by cadet Sophie Evans throughout the service.
In his sermon Ken reminded us “Our gathering each year bears witness that our memories of our fallen shipmates is still with us, that their memory is still alive and of importance, that it had meaning.”
The reading of the names of our fallen was conducted by Andrew Gordon-Lennox on behalf of Admiral Lord West who was unable to attend. A recording of the last post was played, performed by Louie Draycott who has carried this out for Association for the past seven years. Louie is the great nephew of Richie Gough and grandson of Pete and Theresa Brierley and was at the service.
This was the first time T.S. Ardent was led by the new commanding officer, Sub. Lt. Alex Palfreyman who attended with 14 cadets and 5 officers, one of the biggest turnouts of our sea cadet unit in recent years made possible because of the NMA’s accessibility from the home of T.S. Ardent in Macclesfield. All new attendees were presented with a HMS Ardent Association challenge coin by Andrew Gordon-Lennox, the First Lieutenant of HMS Ardent in 1982.
Anchor History
The anchor was lost in Portland Harbour in 1980 when HMS Ardent was taking shelter from a storm. After the news that HMS Ardent had been sunk, the Queen’s Harbour Master at Portland, a former First Lieutenant of HMS Ardent, Commander Nick Crewes RN (Retired) initiated a successful search for the anchor.
After its recovery it was offered to the HMS Ardent Association who decided that it should become a permanent memorial to those who were lost with the ship and was originally located at the China Fleet Club near Saltash in Cornwall. It was decided to relocate the anchor to the National Memorial Arboretum in order to allow greater access to this important memorial by survivors of the ship, family members of the Association, and the public in general.
On the 21 May 2015, in the presence of the HMS Ardent Association patron, HRH The Duchess of Gloucester LG, GCVO, DStJ, CD the Anchor Memorial was dedicated officially - more here.
